Sunday, September 14, 2014

Window on Eurasia: Moscow Patriarch has No Influence on Kremlin Policy, Filaret Says

Paul
Goble

Staunton, September 14 – Patriarch Kirill
of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate has “no influence on
Russian President Vladimir Putin or on Kremlin policy,” according to Patriarch
Filaret, head of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate.

And consequently, the Ukrainian
patriarch continued, “under contemporary conditions, Patriarch Kirill cannot
speak openly or truthfully” or hope to have any influence on the Kremlin. That
is something which simply “cannot be.” As a result, “the voice of Patriarch
Kirill does not count for anything” at least in the Kremlin.